The psalms of David and the gospels of the New Testament are cornerstones of the Christian faith. The Orthodox Church considers them an essential part of all liturgical services.
The Coptic Orthodox Church, in particular, has an intricate rite for the chanting of the psalms and the reading of the holy gospel. This rite consists of both melismatic and recitative tunes, as well as majestic movements and reverent worship. The current misunderstandings of liturgical rituals, decline in the use of the Coptic language, and late incorporation of the Arabic language into the liturgical services, have altered the order of this rite, rendering it incoherent. This incoherence not only furthers the loss of our original rite, but leaves the worshipper confused and unfocused. I hope this study will be used to revive this tradition and its tunes!
The purpose of this series is to discuss certain aspects of the rites and hymns of the Coptic liturgy, whether the Divine Liturgy or any other liturgical service, that are currently misinterpreted or practiced inaccurately. I am in no way a liturgical scholar, but my goal is to, by God’s grace, use both written and musical tradition to clarify some of the ambiguities or unfounded changes present in the Divine Liturgy. This article is divided into two sections: the first will discuss the rite of the psalm chant and the procession of the gospel, while the second section will delve into the reading of the holy gospel.
I’m including a table of contents so that the length and detail of this article don’t deter readers.
Contents:
Page 02 – Tradition of the Psalm Chant & Procession of the Gospel
Page 03 – Manuscripts Concerning the Psalm Chant & Procession of the Gospel
Page 04 – Overview of the Musical Tradition of the Psalm Chant
Page 05 – Melismatic Tunes of the Psalm Chant
Page 06 – Intermediate Tunes of the Psalm Chant
Page 07 – Recitative Tunes of the Tawwaf Psalm Chant
Page 08 – Tradition of the Gospel Reading
Page 09 – Proper Order of the Gospel Reading
Page 10 – Manuscripts Concerning the Gospel Reading
Page 11 – Musical Tradition of the Gospel Reading in Coptic
Page 12 – Is it Viable? Suggestions & Summary
Page 13 – Contemplation & Prayer
A Psalm of David. Alleluia!
We see the true beauty of the psalms in understanding their purpose;
“A psalm is a blessing on the lips of the people, a hymn in praise of God, the assembly’s homage, a general acclamation, a word that speaks for all, the voice of the Church, a confession of faith in song… What is a psalm but a musical instrument to give expression to all the virtues? The psalmist of old used it, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, to make earth re-echo the music of heaven.” – St. Ambrose of Milan
In the Coptic rite, the litany of the gospel is prayed, followed by the chanting of the psalms. The tunes of the psalms are among the most beautiful hymns the Church has preserved. Surprisingly enough, some of these tunes are labeled by their region of origin. This is a very rare occurrence, especially because the majority of our hymns have no documented regional origin.
The psalms are split into four ‘words’ (lit. كلمات), meaning phrases. The melismatic portion is reserved for the first two phrases in most of the individual tunes. At the beginning of the third phrase, the tunes become recitative and the priests begin a special procession.
With that in mind, let’s discuss the history of the psalm chant in the Coptic rite. I’ll start by referencing three of our most valuable ritual texts.
1. A Lamp in the Darkness (Mesbah al Zolma) – Ibn Kabar the priest –page 162; 178
As previously mentioned, Mesbah al Zolma is one of the oldest available ritual texts in the Coptic Church (early 14th Century). The first mention of the psalm chant is during the matins (morning) raising of incense.
“After [ Ⲫϯ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲁⲛ ⳾ ⲑⲉϣ ⲟⲩⲛⲁⲓ ⲉⲣⲟⲛ ⳾ ϣⲉⲛϩⲏⲧ ϧⲁⲣⲟⲛ ⳾ ] ‘God have mercy on us, settle mercy upon us, have compassion on us,’ the congregation says [ ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲉ ⲉⲗⲉⲏⲥⲟⲛ ] ‘Lord have mercy’ 17 times. After this, the litany of the gospel [ Ⲫⲛⲏⲃ ⲡ⳪︦] ‘Master Lord’ is said, and the psalm is chanted (the word used here is [يطرح ] ‘yotrah,’ which literally means “to be thrown aside” or “divided”). The priest then ascends to the altar to raise one hand of incense and it is the seventh time.”
Fr. Ibn Kabar then mentions this rite again, describing it in more detail, when writing about the Divine Liturgy of the Word.
“The priest prays the litany of the gospel, and the psalm is divided and read (‘yotrah natran‘), and responded to with its hymns. The tradition of the people of Cairo, Egypt, and the northern face, is that one of the younger deacons reads, and then the choir responds to him. In Upper Egypt, one or two of the elder deacons chant with the tune, and then the rest of the group respond to them also saying the first ‘word’ (phrase) with the tune. The Alexandrians have the archdeacon read the psalm. In the monastery of the great saint Abu Maqar the ‘psalmodseyeen’ (chanters) read/chant it in the middle of the church; no one responds to them. The current practice now: by the hands of the celebrant presbyter is the first word, the second to whomever says it; the third and fourth words for the deacons together. The priest then rises to the sanctuary and raises incense. He processes before the gospel, the candles in the hands of the youth, with the gospel lifted and open on the hands of the deacon.”
Note: The Coptic language had influence on the pronunciation of Arabic words in Egypt. A clear example is the phrase “yotrah natran” which is actually ‘yotrah nathran,’ meaning, “to be read.” This is due to the lack of the “th” sound in the proper phonetics of the Coptic language. This phrase is indicative of the method of chant. Although it is rare nowadays, up until about fifty years ago, a select person would read the words of the psalm out loud. The cantors would then respond to him, placing the tune of the season/region on the words that were recited. This was done frequently in the old cathedral of St. Mark by Cantor Fahim Girgis and Dr. Youssef Mansour. It isn’t clear whether this method was developed to aid the cantors, who were predominantly blind, or if this was common practice.
From this passage, we can see that: (1) various regions were given the freedom to practice in their unique ways, but they all adhered to a general structure; (2) the rank of the psalter (chanter), which some claim to be a new innovation, is mentioned here. The rank clearly existed, and there were several chanters in the monastery of Abu Maqar, chanting with the laity in the middle of the church; and (3) a procession with the holy gospel is referenced, and the timing is specified to be at the time of the third and fourth words (phrases) in the psalm. ALL Orthodox Churches practice this procession, except the Assyrian tradition. In the Byzantine Church, it is known as the Little Entrance. These concepts are important foundations for the rest of this study.
2. The Precious Jewel in the Sciences/Studies of the Church (Al Gawhara al Nafeesa) – Youhanna Ibn aby Zakaria Ibn Siba’ – pages 96-98
Al Gawhara is another important resource from the 13th century. It also mentions the rite of the psalm chant.
“After this the archdeacon commands one of the chanters to say/read two verses/passages from the Old Testament, which are the Psalms of David. Their text shall align with the time/purpose of the assembly: whether it be a feast of the Lord, or a feast of the Virgin Lady, or that of a martyr or saint. The psalm will also align with the passage of the gospel for that time. Then the chant begins with the appropriate tunes, be they sad, joyful, annual, or kiahky, or of the holy fifty days. Then the priest circles the altar with the deacon carrying the holy gospel, with the servants before him with candles. The deacon carries it until they descend from the altar. Meanwhile the people chant and say ‘Cause me to hear thy mercy in the morning; for I have hoped in thee (Maricwtem).
We see a slightly different practice than that which was stated by Ibn Kabar. The chanting of the psalms is done by the chanters, and the procession around the altar, inside the sanctuary, occurs with the deacon carrying the gospel book; the other servants holding candles before it. However, Ibn Siba’ describes the tunes of the psalms and their texts. He mentions five tunes, and that the psalms are related to the gospel readings and the occasion.
3. Order of Liturgical Prayers (Al Tarteeb al Taqsy) – Pope Gabriel 88th Patriarch of the Church of Alexandria – page 54; 72
“Then he takes the censer and says the litany of the gospel till the end, then the psalm is read (‘yotrah’) and responded. The priest turns towards it with the incense and during the third ‘word’ the priest offers incense to the gospel while saying, [ ⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ ⲙ̀ⲡⲓⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲓ︦ⲏ︦ⲥ︦ ⲡ︦ⲭ︦ⲥ︦ ⳾ ϩⲓⲧⲉⲛ ⲛⲓⲉⲩⲭⲏ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲓⲉⲣⲟⲯⲁⲗⲧⲏⲥ ⲇⲁⲩⲓⲇ ⲡⲓⲡⲣⲟⲫⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⳾ ⲡ⳪︦ ⲁⲣⲓϩⲙⲟⲧ ⲛⲁⲛ ⲙ̀ⲡⲓⲭⲱ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲛⲉⲛⲛⲟⲃⲓ ⳾] ‘Worship the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through the prayers of the psalmist David the prophet. Lord grant us the forgiveness of our sins.’ At the fourth ‘word’ he ascends to the altar and kisses it and signs the cross upon the box of incense while saying, [ Ⲟⲩⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲧⲁⲓⲟ ] ‘Glory and honor.’ Then they process with the gospel around the altar while singing, [ Ⲡ⳪︦ ⲁⲓⲱϣ ⲟⲩⲃⲏⲕ ⲥⲱⲧⲉⲙ ⲉⲣⲟⲓ ] ‘Lord I cry to you, hear me’ in its entirety, with the deacon around the altar carrying the gospel. Before him are the deacons with the candles for one round.”
“When the reading of the Praxis (Acts) in Coptic and Arabic ends, they say the three ‘Agios.’ The priest says the litany of the gospel until the end. Then the liturgy psalm is read ‘yotrah’ and responded to. The priest ascends above the altar and raises one hand of incense as he says, [ Ⲟⲩⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲧⲁⲓⲟ ] ‘Glory and honor’ in its entirety. The order of the incense occurs here, and the psalm and procession of the gospel.”
Pope Gabriel is the first to describe the prayers of the priest as he offers incense and begins the procession with the gospel book. He also specifies that the secondary psalm chanted is linked to the priest and deacons circling the altar. This is known as the ‘tawwaf’ psalm. The term comes from the Arabic word يطوف which means “to walk around” or “to process.” These psalms, in current practice, have recitative tunes, and are chanted antiphonally. There are several different ‘tawwaf’ psalms which alternate based on the seasons, feasts, and the presence of our fathers the bishops. All three of these liturgical resources agree that the psalm is chanted separately before the procession of the gospel.
Written tradition in manuscripts also makes this point evident.
Manuscripts & Books
These manuscripts are a continuation of what was written in the liturgical resources of Ibn Kabar, Ibn Siba’ and Pope Gabriel.
1. Vatican Library (V.18) – Raising of Incense and Liturgy of St. Basil – pages 41-42
Although this photo contains faded text, a few words are important to note. The word ‘yotrah’ is written clearly and it again indicates the method of the psalm chant.
You’ll also notice the prayer mentioned by Pope Gabriel written towards the bottom of the page. Below it is its transliteration which is more proof of the old pronunciation of Bohairic Coptic.There is another section of transliteration on the top left corner of the following photo. I advise anyone interested in the proper pronunciation of Bohairic Coptic to play close attention to these details.
“The priest ascends in the fourth word to the altar and kisses it with his mouth and signs the box of incense in the form of the cross while he says, ‘Glory and honor’ in its entirety. Then they process before the altar with the gospel in front of him while chanting and saying, ‘Lord I cry to you, hear me.’ The deacon carries the gospel, and in front of him are the deacons with candles for one round. Then he descends from the altar with his left foot while facing the east.”
2. National Library of France, Paris (P.29) – Liturgies of St. Basil and St. Gregory- page 29
The psalm is read ‘yotrah’and they respond. The priest turns towards it with the incense and in the third word he gives incense to the gospel while he says thus: ‘Worship the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through the prayers of the psalmist David the prophet, Lord grant us the forgiveness of our sins.’ Then he ascends in the fourth word to the altar and kisses it with his mouth. He signs the incense box like the cross while he says thus: ‘Glory and honor’ in its entirety. Then they circle around the altar with the gospel while the deacons chant, ‘Lord I cry to thee.’ The deacon carries the gospel, with the deacons before him, with candles, for one round. Then he descends from the sanctuary with his left foot, while he faces the east.
3. National Library of France, Paris (P.30) – Liturgy of St. Basil – page 40
The psalm is read ‘yotrah’ and in the third word the priest gives incense to the gospel and ascends to the altar and raises incense, one hand. He says, ‘Glory and honor’ while signing the incense box with the cross one time. Then he processes with the incense before the gospel and circles the altar once, then descends from the altar and gives incense to the gospel while saying, ‘Worship the gospel.’
4. The British Library, London (BL.OR.429) – Liturgies of St. Basil, Gregory & Cyril – page 43
The psalm is chanted ‘yotrah‘ and responded to. During the third word the priest gives incense to the gospel while saying, ‘Through the prayers of the psalmist David.’ Then he ascends to the altar and signs the incense box like the cross while saying, ‘Glory and honor.’ Then he gives incense to the gospel while he circles the altar, one round.
5. The British Library, London (BL.OR.431) – Liturgy of St. Basil & Raising of Incense – page 30
“Then the deacon says the psalm and during the third word the priest gives incense to the gospel. He ascends to the altar and raises incense, one hand, while he says, ‘Glory and honor’ and signs the box with the cross. Then he processes with the incense before the gospel while circling the altar, one round. Then he descends from the altar and offers incense to the gospel.”
6. The British Library, London (BL.OR.8777) – Raising of Incense & St. Basil Liturgy – pages 40-41
7. Coptic Museum, Cairo (80LIT) – Raising of Incense & Liturgy of St. Basil – page 30
8. Coptic Museum, Cairo (256LIT) – Anaphora of St. Basil – pages 83 – 86
This manuscript is the first to mention the praise of Simeon the elder, in the procession. “Now Lord, let your servant depart in peace…”
At some point in the future I will translate the rest of the manuscripts for completeness’ sake. They are repeats of what was already written, and may be directly transcribed from scripts that I’ve already translated.
1. Euchologion of Fr. Abdelmessih el Mas’oudy – 1902 – pages 258-259
“Then the priest takes the censer and says the litany of the gospel [Vnyb] ‘Master’ … then the psalm is read ‘yotrah’ and responded to. The priest gives incense to the gospel and rises to the altar and signs the incense box. He places one hand of incense into the center while saying [ Ouwou nem outaio ] ‘Glory and honor.’ The deacon ascends with the gospel to the sanctuary and they process around the altar while the priest says [ }nou Panyb ] ‘Now Lord.’
This book is one of the mot important resources for the Euchologion in recent times. I will refer to this text several times when we speak about the reading of the holy gospel. For now, we must note that this book mentions the ‘tawwaf’ psalms and uses the same word ‘yotrah.’ This book is also the main reason for the standardization in the use of the praise of Simeon the elder.
2. Bishop Rafael el Toukhy – Coptic Catholic Patriarchate – pages 59 – 60
This euchologion is also another primary resource in the Coptic Catholic Patriarchate. The Coptic Catholic Church took their rites from the Coptic Orthodox Church and these books follow the writings in our manuscripts, sometimes more closely than our books do now. The book also uses the word ‘yotrah,’the praises of Simeon the elder and the ‘tawwaf’ psalms.
Summary
The litany of the gospel is prayed. The psalm is to be chanted in its specific method directly after the litany; the phrases are read and then attuned.
The procession of the gospel begins with the ascent of the deacon and priest to the sanctuary during the third & fourth phrase of the psalm chant. They circle the altar once, while the ‘tawwaf’ psalm is chanted.
The procession is done with the gospel book itself, with the deacons holding candles, and the priest carrying the censer, in front of it. We will discuss more on who holds the censer later.
Now that we’ve gone through the written tradition, let’s take a look at the musical tradition for the tunes of the psalms.
Musical Tradition of the Psalms
The musical tradition of the psalms is quite complicated, mostly because of the inconsistencies in current practice. There are existent regional differences as well. Please bear with me as I explain the structure, to the best of my ability.
As we’ve mentioned, the psalms are split into four phrases (stanzas). The first two phrases are given a melismatic tune, while the second two phrases are chanted in an intermediate tune. The verses are concluded with the word Alleluia. The tawwaf psalm follows the four stanzas, in a recitative tune, and is also concluded with Alleluia.
For the sake of completeness, I will include the tunes of the psalms of Holy Week in the following overview, but I will not discuss them in depth here. They also follow a similar structure.All the psalms of holy week are chanted in the intermediate tune known as the Adriby – coming from an old village named Adrib. The melisma known as the shamy tune, coming from the region of the Shama mount in Luxor, is used for only the first stanza of ONE psalm – “Your Throne O God” – on both Tuesday and Friday of Holy Week. Since they are not chanted in liturgies throughout the year, there is no tawwaf psalm because there is no procession around the altar.
Overview of the Tunes
Melisma:
Je Aucaji – Offering of Incense
Singary – Liturgy of the Word
Shamy – Holy Paskha Week
Intermediate:
Offering of Incense (Standard)
Liturgy of the Word (Standard)
Festal
Kiahk (Advent)
Adriby (Funeral) – Holy Paskha Week
Recitative (Tawwaf):
Offering of Incense (Standard)
Liturgy of the Word (Standard)
Festal
Kiahk (Advent)
STANDARD MELISMATIC TUNES
Ϫⲉ ⲁⲩⲥⲁϫⲓ
The Je Aucaji tune is specific to the Offering of Incense services on standard/annual days. This melisma encompasses the first two stanzas of the psalm. It is named after the verse of the psalm that it is most commonly attuned on; the psalm for the evening offering of incense on the Feast of The Virgin Mary.
It is important to understand that the evening and morning Offering of Incense services are separate entities from the Liturgy of the Word. It makes sense that they would have a tune for the psalms that is specific to these services during standard days.
You’ll notice that some cantors do not continue the rest of the phrases of the psalm but chant the concluding Alleluia right away. This is evidence indicating that the melismatic phrases were separate from the third and fourth phrases with the intermediate tune and the tawwaf psalm with the recitative tunes.
The Singary Tune
The “Singary” tune is a beautiful melisma that originated from the region known as Singar: a village located west of the Nile delta, near the current Lake Burrulus. It was a popular site of pilgrimage; the Coptic Synaxarium notes that Diocletian persecuted Christians there. There were also many prominent monks living in Singar. The region became a bishopric at some point in the 8th century and it played an important role in the history of Lower (Northern) Egypt. The bishops of this see were present at several documented councils and one of the Coptic Patriarchs was a monk from this place. This is very likely to have played a significant role in the preservation and spread of this tune for the psalm chant.
Singar was destroyed by the rising water levels of Lake Burrulus, sometime during the 16th or 17th centuries. The ruins of the village are located on an island which is now in the midst of the lake. The only surviving remnant of the region is this wonderful melisma.
This melisma was placed on the first two phrases of ALL psalms chanted during the Liturgy of the Word, during both festive and annual days; the only exception being the psalms of the month of Kiahk (Advent).
Please pay attention to the last track in this playlist as you will hear the specific method for the psalm chant ‘yotrah’
Pope Gabriel makes a distinction between the Singary tune and the joyful psalm in his description of the rites of baptism.
“The patriarch or the priest say the litany of the gospel. The psalm is chanted ‘yotrah‘ and then responded Singary. If it is during the time of the fifties, the [ ϫⲱ ⲡⲓ ⲁ︦ⲗ︦ ] ‘Say the Alleluia’ tune is said. If the patriarch is present they say [ⲙⲁⲣⲟⲩϭⲁⲥϥ ] ‘Let them exalt Him’ and the patriarch reads the gospel as is the norm. If he is not present, they say [ⲥⲧⲁⲑⲏⲧⲉ] ‘Stand’ and the priest reads the gospel in Coptic on the baptismal font. The deacon translates.”
The “Summary” Singary
Due to the length of this melisma, two developments occurred. The first was the creation of a summary tune known as the “molakhas” (الملخص).
The following is a video interview with Cantor Tawfik speaking about this tune and stating that it is a lesser singary and is used annually. This isn’t because this tune itself is an annual tune, but because the singary itself was used as the standard tune of the liturgy psalm.
I would also like to bring your attention to Cantor Tawfik’s humility in this video! He is aware that he forgot a small portion of the hymn and asks Fr. Isaiah to correct him.
This tune was used when there was time constraint or if more than one psalm was chanted. A great example of an occasion like this is Palm Sunday, where two separate psalms are chanted and all four gospel accounts are read. In the Coptic liturgical calendar, Palm Sunday is considered the 7th Sunday of Great Lent and was prayed in the annual/standard rite. This is also why the cantors recorded the psalms of the offering of incense in the ϫⲉ ⲁⲩⲥⲁϫⲓ tune.
The following is an excerpt from the Order of the Church by Bishop Samuel. This specific excerpt is taken from the manuscript of the Baramous Monastery which dates back to 1515 AD.
“As usual ⲁ︦ⲗ︦ ⲫⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲓⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ is chanted and the readings are read until the Arabic translation/explanation of the praxis. The hymn of the Sha’anin is chanted entirely and it is ⲉⲩⲗⲟⲅⲏⲙⲉⲛⲟⲥ. The Trisagion is chanted and the psalm is chanted ‘yotrah‘ after the litany of the gospel. Half of it (two phrases) is chanted Singary and the other two phrases are chanted in the annual tune. If the patriarch or the bishop is present, Marou[acf is chanted. Then the patriarch or bishop reads all the gospels in Coptic. The psalm is then chanted ‘yotrah‘ and it is ⲛⲑⲟⲕ ⲫϯ ⲉϥⲉⲣϣⲁⲩ ⲛⲁⲕ and it is then responded to, either ‘singary molakhas’ (singary summary) or annually as is the norm of the liturgy psalms.”
Pope Gabriel also mentions this summary tune when discussing the rites of baptism.
“After this they say [ ⲟⲩⲥⲑⲟⲓⲛⲟⲩϥⲓ ] ‘The incense’ and then [ ⲛⲓⲭⲉⲣⲟⲩⲃⲓⲙ ] ‘The Cherubim’ and what befits. Afterwards, the priest says the litany of the gospel and the psalm is chanted ‘yotrah‘ either singary summary or annual recitative. If it is the fifties [ϫⲱ ⲡⲓ ⲁ︦ⲗ︦] and the gospel response …”
The Abbreviated Singary
The second development was another abbreviation of the hymn; currently it’s considered the short singary. In this version, the main portion of the melisma is removed and a connection is made between the first syllable and the words of the first stanza in the psalm. This is much more commonly used than the summary tune, even though it is a more recent development.
Recently, the chant of the psalm with the singary melisma has been limited to the feasts of the Lord and other joyful occasions. The summary tune has been separated and considered an annual chant. This distinction has been somewhat confusing for many and it stems from different regional practices and a lack of understanding in regards to Divine Liturgies (originally celebrated only on Sundays) always being considered a feast for the Resurrection. You’ll notice that in the first two recordings in this playlist, both cantors Fahim and Ibrahim start the abbreviation as if it is the annual psalm.
Once the melismas are finished, the second two phrases (3 & 4) are chanted in the following intermediate tunes depending on the season.
INTERMEDIATE TUNES
These tunes are chanted while the priest is ascending into the sanctuary, placing incense into the censer.
Offering of Incense (Standard Days)
Phrases 3 & 4 of the psalms during the offering of incense would be chanted in the following tune after the melisma: ϫⲉ ⲁⲩⲥⲁϫⲓ.
This tune is quite succinct and is followed by the recitative tune in most recordings. I’ve clipped these tracks so as to include only the third and fourth phrases of the psalm. I will go into more detail when discussing the recitative tune and the tawwaf psalm.
Liturgy of the Word (Standard Days)
After the first two phrases of the psalm in the Singary melisma, summary or abbreviated tunes, the following tune is used during standard days.
When the Singary melisma stopped being chanted, the cantors extrapolated portions of the intermediate tune and mixed them with parts of the singary. You’ll notice that there is much discrepancy amongst the cantors for the first two phrases in the intermediate tune. As a matter of fact, the same cantor may be found to chant the first two phrases in different ways, since they were never standardized (see Cantor Mikhail’s recordings).
Festive (Feast of the Lord)
During the feasts of the Lord and other festive occasions in the Coptic church, the psalms are chanted in a special intermediate tune. It is important to note that this goes for the psalms chanted during the offering of incense and the liturgy of the word. The only occasion wherein the tunes differ between the offering of incense and the liturgy of the word is the standard/annual days.
Structurally, I’d like to split the festive tune of the psalm chant into five segments.
1. Three longer, introductory alleluias – On feast days, we chant these three alleluias prior to the singary melisma. This is why they have recently been considered a part of the melisma. They are not.
2. First two phrases of the psalm and the short alleluias – Assuming the singary melisma is not chanted, the first two phrases of the psalm are chanted in the festive intermediate tune and then concluded with three short alleluias.
3. Second two phrases of the psalm are chanted in the same intermediate tune as the first two phrases.
4. Tawwaf psalm – The specific tawwaf psalm for the feast is chanted in the recitative tune (discussed later)
5. Psalm response and concluding alleluias
The feasts of the Lord also include psalm responses that reiterate the belief of the Church regarding the occasion. These responses should be chanted after the tawwaf psalm is concluded. You will hear a few of them in these recordings.
The Alleluias at the conclusion of the psalm response have an elongation that is usually only chanted if the singary melisma is chanted.
Please listen to the tracks below, with this structure in mind.
Kiahk (Advent)
There is also a specific tune for the psalm chant during the month of Kiahk. The structure of this psalm chant is almost identical to that of the festive psalm chant. The only differences are that there are four alleluias in the introduction and there are no responses at the end of the psalm other than the word Alleluia.
When the priest has finished placing the incense, and the second two phrases of the psalm have been chanted, the procession with the book of the gospel begins. The chanters and deacons say the tawwaf psalm, selecting the appropriate psalms based on the occasion.
TAWWAF PSALM – RECITATIVE TUNES
Each service has a specific tawwaf psalm that is chanted. The tunes are placed on the text based on the season. The most common tawwaf used is a combination of two psalms which are chanted in the presence of the bishops: ⲙⲁⲣⲟⲩϭⲁⲥϥ. The bishop can be present during any season, and therefore this tawwaf was used as the reference to teach the cantors and preserve the different tunes.
Offering of Incense
This tune is the same as the intermediate tune of the offering of incense psalm chant. There is one slight alteration to the tune that was made by the cantors due to time constraint; they connect two verses together instead of musically concluding each verse separately. (See the recording by Deacon Ibrahim for the Palm Sunday Tawwaf.)
Liturgy of the Word
This tune is specific to the tawwaf of the liturgy of the Word and IS NOT taken from the intermediate tune of the annual psalm!
Festive
The tawwaf psalm of the festive occasions is the same tune as the intermediate tune of the psalm.
Kiahk
The recitative tune of the month of kiahk is the same as that of the kiahk intermediate psalm.
The following photos are selections of other tawwaf psalms used throughout the seasons of the year.
Summary of the Psalm Chant
The psalms are chanted directly after the litany of the gospel is prayed.
There are two melismas for liturgical services; one for the offering of incense and the other for the liturgy of the word. These melismas encompass the first two phrases of the psalms.
The second two verses of the psalm are chanted in an intermediate tune and are followed by the tawwaf psalm which is chanted in a recitative tune. In 3 out of the 4 occasions, the recitative tune is taken from the intermediate chant.
The priest begins to offer incense at the start of the third and fourth verses of the psalm while the deacons begin to enter the sanctuary in preparation for the procession of the gospel.
Tradition of the Gospel Reading
It is finally time to discuss the main purpose of this article. My hope is that this research will be used to return to the correct order for the reading of the gospel. I hope that you haven’t lost interest in this topic after reading in detail about the psalms!
The earliest mention of the gospel reading in the Alexandrian tradition comes from the Canons of Athanasius (Canon 106).
The Canons of Athanasius of Alexandria – Wilhelm Reidel & W.E. Crum – page 68
We must examine a few things in this canon:
Morning and evening incense are mentioned as services that are separate than the anaphora itself.
The archdeacon is the one holding the censer, although the priest is the one who places the incense in it for him! This practice occurs in all other Orthodox Churches and it is mentioned again in our manuscripts later on. There is no mention of who the reader of the gospel is, although it may be assumed to be the bishop or the priest, since the deacon is offering the incense.
The procession of the gospel book into the inner part of the sanctuary is mentioned. This is important to note because the euaggelion was the book of the gospel which is supposed to be read from.
Times of incense are times for “hymns of praise,” which explains why we chant during the times when incense is offered.
I would like to thank Fr. Shenouda Maher Ishak for directing me to this passage when I relayed my interest in this subject.
As usual, the first resource we check after the Church Fathers for Coptic rites is Mesbah El Zolma!
A Lamp in the Darkness (Mesbah al Zolma) – Ibn Kabar the priest
The first image is from the chapter on the raising of incense:
“They process around the altar with the gospel, opened and raised on the hands of the deacon, while the people chant with sections of the psalms in the tune of the psalms. The priest descends and offers incense to the gospel and receives it from the deacon. The [other] priests in attendance greet it according to their ranks. The celebrant deacon reads it, or the patriarch if he is present, or if he chooses so [?]. It is then explained/translated in Arabic. After the translation, in matins, a chapter from the Synaxari is read, which is the memorials and their history. The priest receives the gospel and the attending priests greet it again, while the assembly chants verses that are fitting for the readings of that day.”
1. The tawwaf psalm is mentioned during the procession.
2. The celebrant (presiding) priest receives the gospel book and his fellow priests come forward to greet it in order according to their ranks.
3. Generally, the deacon reads the gospel. If the patriarch is present he would read the gospel, unless he allows the priest or deacon to read.
4. The Synaxarium is mentioned here! This was the original place of the synaxarium. Originally, it is part of the veneration service during the weekdays. The veneration occurs after the gospel/conclusion of matins (morning) offering of incense. This also explains why the weekday readings are related to the saints/memorials of the day, while the Sunday readings have a distinct order.
The second image is from the passage regarding the Divine Liturgy:
“The priest descends and offers incense to the gospel. He receives it from him [the deacon] and the priests kiss it and he also kisses it. The gospel is read, either on the pulpit [الانبل] which is more fitting with its majesty or on the gospel podium [المنجلية]. If it is read by the patriarch he faces the west, standing at the door of the altar, and the priest under him with the incense. The same goes for the bishop from his seat [throne]. If it is read by the deacon he faces the east [?] and the priest stands with the censer on the wings of the sanctuary. It is translated in Arabic and at the beginning of the translation the celebrant priest takes the censer from the non-celebrant priest and says, [ ⲡⲓⲣⲉϥⲱⲟⲩⲛϩⲏⲧ ] ‘O You the long-suffering’. “
1. The greeting of the gospel is mentioned here again. Manuscripts and euchologions will go into more detail about this.
2. Fr. Ibn Kabar speaks about the pulpit from which the gospel is supposed to be read. In the older churches, this pulpit was in the center of the church. Currently, the churches that do have this pulpit have them on the northern side of the nave. It was used for the readings of the church, the sermons, the diptych and the commands of the deacon to the congregation.
3. If the gospel is not read up on the pulpit, the patriarch and the bishop both read the gospel facing the west, towards the assembly. Pope Shenouda III, of blessed memory, was seen doing this many times in years past when reading the gospel in Coptic.
4. The deacon reads the gospel to the east? I believe this may be a mistake or it may have a specific interpretation. No other manuscript or document concurs with this. As a matter of fact, Fr. Ibn Kabar states several times that the place of the deacon during the liturgy is facing the west, towards the people, even from inside the altar. It may either be an error in transcription or to indicate that if the patriarch or bishop is present, the deacon should not stand above them, facing away from them since he is of a lower rank. This might also be why he describes where the priest stands during the gospel reading while offering incense.
5. The Copts didn’t remove the reading of the gospel in Coptic, but added the reading of the Arabic translation. This will lead us to many other points later on. Notice that during the Arabic reading, the priests begin the rest of the prayers. This could be an attempt to conserve time but it also adds to clericalism in the practice of the liturgy.
Youhanna Ibn Siba’ adds more detail in his description of the reading of the gospel and mentions another rite that we as Copts have lost totally at this point. I firmly believe that we should revive it.
The Precious Jewel in the Sciences/Studies of the Church (Al Gawhara al Nafeesa) – Youhanna Ibn aby Zakaria Ibn Siba’
“Then the priest circles the the sanctuary as well as the deacon with the glorious gospel. The servants encompass it with candles and the deacon carries it until the time when they descend from the sanctuary and the congregation chants, “Cause me to hear thy mercy in the morning; for I have hoped in thee.” (Psalm 143:8) The deacon, on his own, says, “Make known to me, O Lord, the way wherein I should walk; for I have lifted up my soul to thee,” (Psalm 143:8)for the gospel traveled to the peopleand the deacon is carrying it and walking with it. This one procession around the altar symbolizes the procession of the gospel around the whole world; the traveling procession that included the whole world. Then the priest, after the circling of the gospel around the sanctuary symbolizing its procession around the whole world, as we said before, the priest takes the gospel, opens it and places it on the altar indicating that the text comes from Christ who is placed on this altar.”
Chapter 69
Regarding the greeting of the priests and their confession of the opened gospel book.
“Then the rest of the priests in attendance come to see the words written in it and to witness and testify that this open book is in fact the gospel. After seeing it and identifying it, they kiss it while it is open. This differentiates the priests from the rest of the congregation, in that they greet the gospel book while it is open, due to their priesthood.
After this, if the presbyter chooses to read the gospel it is his rite, first before all others, because he is a successor to the apostles who preached the gospel. If the priest chooses not to read the gospel, then he gives permission to the deacon to read it. This deacon is named the deacon of the gospel (preaching deacon) meaning that he reads the gospel and this differentiates him from the rest of the deacons who do not read the gospel. This is because the reading of the gospel should be upon an elder who is capable of correcting the text and understands the meaning and explanation of it.
Then the gospel is read and it fills the hearing of the attendees in text and explanation. The reading of the gospel should be upon the pulpit. The explanation of this pulpit is the higher place referring to the words of the master, to whom is glory, ‘What is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs’ (Matthew 10:27). These roofs are the pulpit that the savior alluded to in that it is high up, symbolizing the roof.
Then after the descent of the reader of the gospel and the translator in text and saying, the attending priests come forth and kiss the gospel indicating belief and faith in what was witnessed. It is similar to the first greeting but in faith, in belief, and in truth so that they represent the congregation in its greeting.”
Chapter 70
Regarding the subdeacon’s procession with the gospel to the assembly so that they greet it
After this, the subdeacon carries the gospel and covers it in white linen and circuits with it to the assembly that they may kiss it while it is closed; believing what they heard and following the kiss of the priests in faith and truth. The subdeacon going around with the gospel to the assembly is better than the congregants walking to it because at first, the gospel walked to the people and they believed in it. So if the people walked to it, the preachers of the gospel would’ve sat in one placed and the people would come to them. There is also benefit in that there is less busyness and distraction of the mind.”
What is written by Youhanna Ibn Siba’ is interesting for several reasons:
1. He is the only one to mention the placement of the gospel upon the altar or the reason for the greeting of the gospel being to ascertain that it is in fact the word of God. He also provides his understanding of the purpose for which we practice many of these rites. You’ll notice that in some he explains things with biblical verses and with others he provides practical reasoning. These types of symbolisms reflect some personal interpretations and are not necessarily the original purposes that these practices were developed for.
2. He mentions that the reading of the gospel is of the rite of the priest. This coincides with what is written in the Canons of Athanasius. The archdeacon was the one given the censer to offer incense, presuming that the priest (or bishop) himself would read the gospel.
3. The procession of the subdeacon with the book of the gospel to the congregation is only mentioned in this text! This is such an important rite that we have sadly completely foregone in the Coptic Church. We struggle at many times to find current roles for the subdeacon. This may quite well be an important one.
Order of Rites/Liturgical Prayers (Al Tarteeb al Taqsy) – Pope Gabriel 88th Patriarch of the Church of Alexandria
Liturgy of the Word
“When the reading of the Praxis (Acts) in Coptic and Arabic ends, they say the three ‘Agios.’ The priest says the litany of the gospel until the end. Then the liturgy psalm is read ‘yotrah’ and responded to. The priest ascends above the altar and raises one hand of incense as he says, [ Ⲟⲩⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲧⲁⲓⲟ ] ‘Glory and honor’ in its entirety. The order of the incense occurs here, and the psalm and procession of the gospel. The offering of incense, in the beginning and the end, and what the priest says during this, the greeting of the gospel by the priests and all of this was written in the rite of the psalm and gospel in the vespers prayer and is depended on. However, during the translation of the Arabic gospel, the celebrant priest, who is the servant, says [ Pirefwou`nhyt ]. If he has a partner, then it is his until the end.”
Vespers
“Then he descends from the altar with his left foot, and gives [to the gospel] incense three times. During the first time he says, [ Ⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ ⲙ̀ⲡⲓⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲓ︦ⲏ︦ⲥ︦ ⲡ︦ⲭ︦ⲥ︦ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲙ̀ⲫϯ ⲉⲧⲟⲛϧ ⲡⲓⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲁϥ ϣⲁ ⲉⲛⲉϩ] ‘Worship the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, to whom is glory forever.’ Then he receives the gospel on his hands and turns to his brothers the priests. Then they place their canes/staffs to the side and take off ‘tayalisahom’ (their crowns), and walk to the place of the gospel and they bow their heads. Then each of them kisses it while saying, [ ⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ ⲙ̀ⲡⲓⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ ] ‘Worship the gospel’ until the end. Then he also kisses it after them. Then he hands it to the deacon so that he turns to read it, either on the gospel podium or on the pulpit. Then he offers it incense and turns to the east*, before the door of the altar. When the deacon says, [ ⲥⲧⲁⲑⲏⲧⲉ ] ‘Stand,’ the priest says, [ ϥⲥⲙⲁⲣⲱⲟⲩⲧ ⲛ̀ϫⲉ ⲫⲏⲉⲑⲛⲟⲩ ϧⲉⲛ ⲫⲣⲁⲛ ⲙ̀ⲡ⳪︦ ] ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Then, when the deacon says, [ ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲉ ⲉⲩⲗⲟⲅⲏⲥⲟⲛ ⲉⲕ ⲧⲟⲩ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲛ ⲁⲅⲓⲟⲩ ] ‘Bless O Lord the reading according to saint Matthew’ or others, the priest offers incense to the altar while he says, inaudibly, with the deacon, [ Ⲧⲁⲣⲭⲏ ⲙ̀ⲡⲓⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲙⲁⲧⲑⲉⲟⲛ ⳾ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲙⲁⲣⲕⲟⲛ ⳾ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲗⲟⲩⲕⲁⲛ ⳾ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲛ ⲁⲅⲓⲟⲩ ⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲩ ⲧⲟⲩ ⲁⲛⲁⲅⲛⲟⲥⲙⲁ] ‘The beginning of the holy gospel according to saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. The gospel reading…’
And when they say, [ ⲇⲟⲝⲁ ⲥⲓ ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲉ ] ‘Glory to You, O Lord’, the translator says, ‘Stand in the fear of God and attend to hear the the holy gospel. A chapter from the gospel of (so and so) the evangelist.’ During this, the priest turns towards the the place of the gospel and offers three hands (handfuls) of incense while saying, [ ⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ ⲙ̀ⲡⲓⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ] ‘Worship the holy gospel.’ When the deacon says, [ ⲡⲉⲛ⳪︦ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲡⲉⲛⲛⲟⲩϯ ] ‘Our Lord, our God’ in its entirety the priest turns to the altar and gives incense three times while saying with the deacon [ ⲡⲉⲛ⳪︦ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲡⲉⲛⲛⲟⲩϯ ] ‘Our Lord, our God’ in its entirety. Then he turns to his brothers the priests from where he is and gives them one hand of incense while saying, [ Ⲛⲑⲱⲧⲉⲛ ⲇⲉ ⲱⲟⲩⲛⲓⲁⲧⲟⲩ ⲛ̀ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲛⲃⲁⲗ ϫⲉ ⲥⲉⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲛⲙⲁϣϫ ϫⲉ ⲥⲉⲥⲱⲧⲉⲙ ⳾ ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲛⲉⲣⲡⲉⲙⲡϣⲁ ⲛ̀ⲥⲱⲧⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲉⲓⲣⲓ ⲛ̀ⲛⲉⲕⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ϧⲉⲛ ⲛⲓⲧⲱⲃϩ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲛⲏⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲛ̀ⲧⲁⲕ ⳾ ] ‘As for you, blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. May we be worthy to hear and to act according to your holy gospel, through the prayers of your saints.’
Then he turns towards the deacons and, from his place, gives them one hand of incense saying, [ ⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ ⲙ̀ⲡⲓⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲟⲛ ] ‘Worship the holy gospel.’ Then he stands in his place and his face is towards the west while offering incense before the gospel. (And he shows face before the assembly as Moses, the great arch-prophet did. For [Moses’] face was covered because of the glory of the Lord which was shown; so that the people did not die when they saw the glory of the Lord. However, when the law of the Lord was read to them, he uncovered his face. Then the people would bow their heads to hear the law of the Lord, but they could not look to Moses’ face because of the great glory of the Lord. So should the priest of the new law be, when he turns to the assembly during the reading of the new testament, which is the new law, and shows his face to them, the people bow their heads to hear the reading of the life giving gospel, and in reverence to the glory of the Lord which he gives to his servants and priests).
And when the deacon has finished the reading of the holy gospel in Coptic, the priest turns to the location of the gospel and offers three hands of incense while saying, [ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛⲑⲟⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲉⲧⲉⲥⲉⲣⲡⲣⲉⲡⲓ ⲛⲁⲕ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ϯⲇⲟⲝⲟⲗⲟⲅⲓⲁ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲥⲙⲏ ⲛ̀ⲟⲩⲱⲧ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ ⲡⲓⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲧⲁⲓⲟ ϯⲙⲉⲧⲛⲓϣϯ ϯⲡⲣⲟⲥⲕⲩⲛⲏⲥⲓⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲉⲕⲓⲱⲧ ⲛ̀ⲁⲅⲁⲑⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲡ︦ⲛ︦ⲁ︦ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉϥⲧⲁⲛϧⲟ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛ̀ⲟⲙⲟⲟⲩⲥⲓⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲙⲁⲕ ϯⲛⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲛ̀ⲥⲏⲟⲩ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ ⲛⲉⲙ ϣⲁ ⲉⲛⲉϩ ⲁⲙⲏⲛ ⳾ ] ‘and You are He to whom belongs glorication in one voice from everyone, glory and honor, majesty and worship with your Good Father and the Holy Spirit, the giver of life, who is of one essence with you, now and at all times and unto the ages. Amen.’
When the translator says, ‘Our Lord, our God’ the priest turns to the altar and offers three hands of incense while saying, [ ⲡⲉⲛ⳪︦ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲡⲉⲛⲛⲟⲩϯ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲡⲉⲛⲥⲱⲧⲏⲣ ] ‘Our Lord, our God, our Savior’ in its entirety. Then he turns to the priests and the deacons and he gives one hand of incense to each direction and says, [ ⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ ⲙ̀ⲡⲓⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ ] ‘Worship the holy gospel’ in its entirety. When the gospel reading is complete, the deacon takes the gospel to the priest and he gives it incense saying, [ Fcmarwout `nje vye;nyou qen `vran `mP[oic ] ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ There are others who say, [ Ouwst `mpieuagge
When the translator says, ‘Our Lord, our God’ the priest turns to the altar and offers three hands of incense while saying, [ ⲡⲉⲛ⳪︦ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲡⲉⲛⲛⲟⲩϯ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲡⲉⲛⲥⲱⲧⲏⲣ ] ‘Our Lord, our God, our Savior’ in its entirety. Then he turns to the priests and the deacons and he gives one hand of incense to each direction and says, [ ⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ ⲙ̀ⲡⲓⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ ] ‘Worship the holy gospel’ in its entirety. When the gospel reading is complete, the deacon takes the gospel to the priest and he gives it incense saying, [ ϥⲥⲙⲁⲣⲱⲟⲩⲧ ⲛ̀ϫⲉ ⲫⲏⲉⲑⲛⲟⲩ ϧⲉⲛ ⲫⲣⲁⲛ ⲙ̀ⲡ⳪︦ ] ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ There are others who say, [ ⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ ⲙ̀ⲡⲓⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ ] ‘Worship the holy gospel.’ Both are acceptable.
lion ] ‘Worship the holy gospel.’ Both are acceptable.
Then the priest holds it upon his arms and the other priests come to him, bowing their heads and removing their crowns. They kiss it according to their ranks and then at the end he himself kisses it. Then he gives it to the deacon to place on the gospel podium [ الانجيلية ]. Then the gospel response as is the norm.
As you can see, of the three main ritual resources, Pope Gabriel wrote about this rite in the most detail. Most of what he has written is taken from and/or is similar to the manuscripts which you will see in the coming pages. I’d like to take some time to comment on what he has written and sum up the entirety of the rite according to these three sources.
1. After the priest and deacons circle the altar with the book of the gospel, the priest takes the gospel from the deacon and the priests come to greet it. This is mentioned in Ibn Siba’ as well, but the explanation of the priest affirming that this is the holy gospel, is not written by Pope Gabriel. He also doesn’t mention that the book is placed on the altar first.
2. Pope Gabriel clarifies which responses belong to the deacon and which belong to the priest. The deacon says, “Stand in the fear of God and let us hear the holy gospel.” The priest responds to this command by saying, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” It is then that the deacon responds saying, “Bless O Lord, the reading of the holy gospel according to (…)” while the priest says, inaudibly, “The beginning of the gospel (…).” Recently, the second deacon response has become part of the priest’s prayer. This is most likely due to a lack of clarity in some of the manuscripts. The congregation then responds with “Glory to You, O Lord.”
3. THIS IS IMPORTANT. Pope Gabriel clarifies that, after these commands, the translator says, “Stand in the fear of God…” in Arabic. It isn’t part of the reading itself, it is not said before the psalms and it is not a preface to the reading. It is merely a rough translation of the conclusion of the procession. There are a few crucial things we need to be aware of in this regard.
In current practice, this translation is said at the beginning of the Arabic gospel. The reader says, “Stand in the fear of God, and let us hear the holy gospel” but continues on to paraphrase the second part of his response, “A chapter from the holy gospel according to saint (…)” and then adds, “May his blessings be with us all Amen.” Both of the additions in this second response are translated incorrectly and are inconsistent. Notice that Pope Gabriel does not mention “may his blessings…” at all.
Also, because they are chanted in the tune of the deacon response instead of the proper tune of the reading, congregation responses were added into the reading. Notice how NONE of the resources mentioned that the congregation says anything other than “Glory to You, O Lord.” I will allude to this and clarify it in detail later, when I discuss the hymnology of this rite and cite the oldest recordings we have.
This explains why, when the patriarch or bishop is present, the long deacon response “Stand in the fear of God” is chanted here. I will mention this again later.
4. Pope Gabriel mentions that the priest hands the gospel to the deacon to read it, then turns from the gospel toward the altar to give incense. This means that the deacon is in fact reading the gospel with his face directed towards the west, contrary to what Ibn Kabar wrote. Pope Gabriel is writing as if there is only a priest in attendance, which is further indication, strengthening my interpretation of what Ibn Kabar wrote.
5. The gospel reading itself begins with “Our Lord, our God, our Savior and King us of all, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God to Whom is glory forever.” This is made clear in that, “Blessed is he” is not repeated in Coptic and is only said by the priest as he concludes the procession of the gospel. It is also made clear by the interpreter/translator starting the gospel by saying, “Our Lord…,” as Pope Gabriel wrote. Therefore, the reader of the gospel should not be saying “Blessed is he” at all.
6. Pope Gabriel calls the gospel podium “al-ingeeleya” instead of “al-mangalia” which explains why we have the podium to begin with. It’s meant to carry the book of the gospel. Up until his time (16th century), the gospel book itself was used for this entire practice.
Proper Order of the Gospel Reading
This is how the gospel reading should be read, if one language is used, be it Coptic or English.
Deacon: Stand in the fear of God and let us hear the holy gospel
Priest: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
Deacon: Bless O Lord, the reading of the holy gospel according to saint (…)
Priest (Inaudibly): The beginning of the holy gospel according to saint (…)
Congregation: Glory to You, O Lord.
Reader/Deacon: (Introduction of the Gospel Reading) Our Lord, our God, our Savior and King of us all Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, to whom is glory forever.
Reader/Deacon: (Gospel Reading) Here the reader or the deacon reads the selected appropriate passage from the new testament.
Reader/Deacon: (Conclusion of the Gospel Reading) Glory be to our God forever and unto the ages of all ages Amen.
Congregation: Glory to You, O Lord
Notice that there are no congregation responses other than “Glory to You, O Lord” and that this order is almost exactly the same as the order of the gospel reading during Holy Week.
For comparison, the order of the gospel reading in the Byzantine church is included below:
(Taken from https://www.goarch.org/chapel/texts/-/asset_publisher/ulcNzWPdScz6/content/the-divine-liturgy-of-saint-john-chrysostom?_101_INSTANCE_ulcNzWPdScz6_languageId=en_US)
On the next page, you will find the manuscripts that support the three ritual resources and the order which I’ve just written.
Manuscripts Concerning the Gospel Reading
1. Vatican Library (V.18) – Service of the Raising of Incense & Liturgy of St. Basil – pages 42 – 48
This manuscript was seen earlier when we discussed the psalm chant. Again, it has the Coptic transliterations which provide insight and evidence into the original pronunciation of Bohairic Coptic. It is almost verbatim what was written by Pope Gabriel. It also states that “Bless O Lord” is a response for the deacon.
2. National Library of France, Paris (P.29) – Liturgies of St. Basil & St. Gregory – pages 29 – 31
This manuscript mentions that “Bless O Lord” is a deacon response. It also clarifies that the priest turns to the east while the translator is reading the Arabic gospel, indicated that the Coptic and Arabic gospels were both read towards the west.
3. National Library of France, Paris (P.30) – Liturgy of St. Basil – pages 40 – 41
This manuscript tells us that if the gospel is read from the pulpit, the incense offered to the gospel should be from the door of the altar. It also reiterates that the prayer “O You the long-suffering” is prayed while the Arabic translation of the gospel is read.
4. The British Library, London (BL.ADD.17725) – Liturgies of St. Basil, St. Gregory & St. Cyril – page 24
This manuscript has the deacon responses written clearly. It contains “Stand in the fear of God” and “Bless O Lord.”
6. The British Library, London (BL.OR.429) –Liturgies of St. Basil, St. Gregory & St. Cyril – pages 43 -45
7. The British Library, London (BL.OR.431) – Liturgy of St. Basil & the Raising of Incense – pages 30 – 32
This manuscript is one of two that mentions the priest saying, [ ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲛⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ ⲙ̀ⲡⲉⲛⲥⲱⲧⲏⲣ] during his round of incense to the deacons. However, it seems that this is a mistake in understanding or transcription because this verse comes from the weekday tadakias and has nothing to do with the rite of the gospel reading.
8. The British Library, London (BL.OR.8777) – Service of the Raising of Incense and the Liturgy of St. Basil) pages 40 – 46
9. Coptic Museum Cairo (80LIT) – Raising of Incense and Liturgy of St. Basil – pages 27-28
This manuscript also mentions [ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲛⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ ⲙ̀ⲡⲉⲛⲥⲱⲧⲏⲣ].
10. Coptic Museum, Cairo (265LIT) – Anaphora of St. Basil – pages 82 – 91
This manuscript is a service of the deacon book, in which you can clearly see the three responses of the deacon: “Stand in the fear of God,” “Bless O Lord” and “Our Lord, our God.”
14. The British Library, London (BL.ADD.5027G) – Odes, Psalis, Bohairic
This is another manuscript that comes from an old psalmody which included the deacon responses. You will see the responses for the deacon during the reading of the gospel labeled as such.
15. Euchologion of Fr. Abdelmessih el Mas’oudy – 1902 – Pages 98 – 107; 258 – 259
Fr. Abdelmessih’s euchologion is a compilation of all these manuscripts, as well as others. It is a wonderful resource that should be taken into account whenever we study Coptic liturgies.
With all of this documentation laid out before us, let’s take a look at the musical tradition of the gospel reading in its original Coptic tune.
Musical Tradition of the Gospel Reading in Coptic
When the gospel is read in Coptic, it has a distinct tune that is not present in any other hymn. Unfortunately, current practice has almost eliminated this tune. The gospel is almost never read in coptic, and the Arabic gospel is read in the tune of the deacon responses. This has added even more confusion to a now convoluted rite.
Please notice the following points in the recordings above:
1. Track 1 in this playlist is from the Higher Institute of Coptic Studies’ production of the Saint Basil Liturgy. It is in the exact order that is written in Pope Gabriel’s description and in the manuscripts. Notice that Cantor Sadek translates ⲥⲧⲁⲑⲏⲧⲉ into Arabic, paraphrasing the Coptic and Greek incorrectly. In doing so, he also uses the tune of the deacon responses. HOWEVER, there is no congregational response at the end of it; he continues the tune himself.
2. Track 2 is also in the exact order of the written tradition.
3. Track 3 was from a performance in which Cantor Mikhail and others presented a selection of Coptic hymns. You can see the proper order being used for the gospel when just being read in Coptic.
4. Track 4 is in the original 24 tapes of Cantor Mikhail with Cantor Sadek. It is in only Coptic and is in the proper order.
5. I’d like to direct your attention to tracks 5 & 6. They are live recordings from feast liturgies in which His Holiness Pope Shenouda III of blessed memory read the Coptic gospel. Deacon Ibrahim Ayad recites the long deacon response “Stand in the fear of God” for the patriarch in Arabic, in the place of the translator, after the responses are said in Coptic. He also says it in the tune of the deacon responses.
6. Finally, I’d like to draw a comparison between the Coptic gospel during standard/annual days and during Holy Week. The best way to do this is using track number 13 which is a recording of Fr. Mettias Nasr Mankarious chanting the Coptic gospel for Bright Saturday. On Bright Saturday, the Coptic gospel is chanted half in the holy week tune and half in the annual tune. You will notice that the transition between the two tunes in this recording is almost unnoticeable, it fits perfectly. Please also note that the only responses for the congregation in either tune are [ⲇⲟⲝⲁ ⲥⲓ ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲉ] “Glory to You, O Lord.” Unfortunately, the recording itself skips the response and goes straight into the gospel response.
Is it Viable?
Clearly, the current practice does not follow the tradition of this rite. Aside from the clear discrepancies in the written tradition, each parish has its own style in reading the gospel. Most parishes choose to start with the repetition of the deacon response “Stand in the fear of God,” then read the psalm in the deacon response tune, then return to say “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Some parishes start by reading the psalm, after skipping the chant itself. On occasions where there is more than one gospel reading, the rite gets even more confusing.
Based on the materials presented in this article, here are my suggestions as to how to fix this rite:
The use of the Coptic language in this rite has already diminished greatly, so there is much difficulty in trying to chant the psalms and read the gospel in Coptic during every liturgy. However, we can use the proper tunes while incorporating the English language, or the language of the country in which we reside. The following suggestions will save time and remove unnecessary repetition.
The psalm is chanted in English, in the tune corresponding to the service.
The procession of the gospel should be conducted with the book of the gospel. The euaggelion that we use now usually contains a small copy of the psalms and the four gospel accounts. We should return to the practice of reading from the euaggelionitself.It makes no sense to use it and hold it above our heads when reading from another book or a computer screen. The deacon should hold the gospel book open and the priest should offer incense to it, instead of shuffling to switch hands while taking the book from the deacon.
The deacon should direct the assembly to “Stand in the fear of God” in the deacon response tune, in English. If the bishop chooses to read the gospel, the long deacon response should be said here.
The priest should turn to the east towards the altar and say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” as he offers incense.
The deacon then says, “Bless O Lord, the reading of the holy gospel according to saint (…).” In today’s practice, the priest may also say this response, although I prefer to return to the original rite.
The assembly chants, “Glory to You, O Lord.”
The bishop, priest, deacon, or the reader begins the reading by saying, “Our Lord, our God, our Savior and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, to Whom is glory forever.”
The gospel is read in its entirety, in the English language, in the original Coptic tune.
The reader concludes the gospel by saying, “Glory be to our God forever and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.”
The assembly chants, “Glory to You, O Lord.”
The assembly chants the verses of the response to the gospel which are specific to the occasion.
Please refer to the recordings below, as an example of the aforementioned order. These tracks are from the wedding of my dear friends Peter and Sandra, in the presence of Deacon Ibrahim Ayad. The psalm is chanted by my brother and I, while the gospel is read by our reverend Fr. Peter Dimyan. I hope these tracks help to clarify the order in which we should be reciting the psalms and reading the gospel.
The implementation of the proper traditional order will clarify and simplify an ambiguous rite. It will also save a considerable amount of time by removing repetitive commands, extra congregational responses and incorrect tunes that are more lengthy. Moreover, this rite will finally make sense to the assembly.
Contemplation & Prayer
Thank you Almighty God for giving us your Word, that we may live. Allow us to listen and attend to your laws in all reverence and worship. Please, heal us through the power of your holy gospel. Teach us to live by and act according to your commandments, in joy and not in resentment. Open our hearts to accept your love and sacrifice on our behalf. Enlighten our minds with your heavenly Wisdom. Help us to understand your word and let it be a light unto our feet, guiding all our steps. Let our hymns be acceptable to you and our praise be as the aroma of sweet incense before you. Amen.
Psalm 147
Alleluia, a Psalm of Aggaeus and Zacharias.
1 Praise ye the Lord: for psalmody is a good thing; let praise be sweetly sung to our God.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem; and he will gather together the dispersed of Israel.
3 He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.
4 He numbers the multitudes of stars; and calls them all by names.
5 Great is our Lord, and great is his strength; and his understanding is infinite.
6 The Lord lifts up the meek; but brings sinners down to the ground.
7 Begin the song with thanksgiving to the Lord; sing praises on the harp to our God:
8 who covers the heaven with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who causes grass to spring up on the mountains, and green herb for the service of men;
9 and gives cattle their food, and to the young ravens that call upon him.
10 He will not take pleasure in the strength of a horse; neither is he well-pleased with the legs of a man.
11 The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him, and in all that hope in his mercy.
I was so interested and engaged while reading this article. You are doing a great job at informing us of the somewhat lost traditions of our Coptic Church. It is pretty hard to juggle College and doing all the intense research you always do. I admire how thorough you strive to be in everything you do when it pertains to the greater glory of God. God Bless this service!
Also, I have a small question about the Shamy tune you described. You said that it is only supposed to be said for Pekethronos, the Psalm of the 11th hour of Tuesday of the Holy Pascha week, and 12th hour of Great Friday of the Holy Pascha week. We are all used to also saying Avchnon in the same tune as Pekethronos. Also, I saw on your facebook page that it was only a recent practice for the Shamy tune to be sung on Avchnon. Why would it only have been chanted for Pekethronos, and not Avchnon? And, how recent did the Church place the Shamy tune on Avchnon? Thank you again for putting the effort in reviving the old traditions of our Church!
The shamy tune was used for the psalm “Your throne O God”. Clearly this psalm is directed towards God himself, and it is chanted during hours in which the readings discuss Christ sacrificing himself. In the 11th hour of Tuesdays gospel, Christ announces that he will be crucified, and during the 12th hour of Good Friday, he is buried like the dead. The psalm provides a paradox in that the Almighty God accepted suffering and death on our behalf while He exists forever still.
The psalm Awshnon is used to describe Judas Iscariot: ” His words were smoother than oil, yet are they darts”. It is also chanted twice, in hours mentioning the betrayal of Christ by Judas. None of our Holy Week manuscripts and orders mention this psalm being chanted in the shamy tune. In my opinion, the only connection that lead this psalm to be chanted in the shamy tune is the coincidence that it is also used twice.
"But as for me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living has this mystery been revealed to me, but in order that the interpretation may be made known..." – Daniel 2:30
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